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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

GINGERBREAD MEN DOING HAKA VIRAL GETS 3 MILLION HITS

A viral campaign created by Blackwood Communications Group, Auckland for the NZ Bakery of the Year challenge - featuring animated gingerbread men doing the haka - has already had 3 million hits from around the world and climbing, according to the agency. It’s also featured on several NZ and Aussie TV and radio stations.Says Blackwood art director: Matthias May: "The viral was created for the Baking Industry Association of New Zealand’s (BIANZ) annual Bakery of the Year competition. It was open to public voting for the first time this year, so we thought we’d promote this fierce competition with a fierce challenge – and what’s a better representation of that than the haka?"Only two weeks after the public voting opened, the clip’s already had 3 million hits from around the world and climbing. It’s also featured on several NZ and Aussie TV and radio stations. The number of registered bakeries has more than tripled from last year, and several thousand people have voted so far."

I am sorry...but i find it pretty sad that this even being reported. Its a silly...yes silly little nothing thing. Not particularly clever. Maybe a lot naff. I reckon the Kiwis probably giggle because it takes a sacred maori war cry and takes the piss. Being largely swamped by the maori culture the pakehas can a have a nice little whitebread laugh at the gingerbread people. Hmmmmmmmm

Three million hits is incredible. Especially when you go to Youtube and see that it has had, oh, about a thousand or two. I'm thinking someone might be living in a little fantasy land filled with gingerbread men ...

Umm...let me think about this. They banned the golliwogs from Noddy books, got rid of all those black analogies on the front of licorice and show polish years ago, but now we have brown biscuits doing a haka? Maybe it's a good sign that we're finally outgrowing all that stuff. Maybe.